Disclaimer: If I did, I would be Goddess Supreme.
Though this chapter seems like a filler, it will become very important for next chapters and the kids are already becoming players themselves.
Chapter 58: Child's Play
"We believe that children are not as evil as we think but deep down they possessed a strong sense of survival and silent resistance that we have lost as we've grown older and as they are capable of great good, they can also be capable of great evil"
"The Dark Side of Childhood" by Anonymous
1574, July 13th-20th
England, South Surrey
Richmond:
That night when the wedding celebrations are over, the Archbishop of Canterbury bless the newlyweds and the marriage bed, and they get through a list of giggles and good luck wishes. Beth turns to William, slightly nervous looking past his shoulder.
"You need not to worry, guard are outside are paid to have their mouth shut" He said.
"You sure?" She asked with a slight raised eyebrow.
"You want to find out?" William dared. And with one swift move, he grabbed her hand and ran to the door, startling his men who staggered, having much to drink, to get to their feet.
"Hello men. Please tell Her Majesty here what is your duty"
"Your Majesty our duty is to the Crown to look at your most gracious body and..."
"Blah, blah, I know but your main function gentlemen." William asked. His ears ringing with laughter from his young wife. "Go on, we are all adults here ... well" he turned to his wife "semi"
"We are to make sure no one disturbs Your Majesty." One of them croaked, follow by a hiccup. William and Bess laughed some more and returned to their chambers, anxious for what would come next, they gave the door a loud bang.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" William asked when he untied the lacing in front of her right see through white nightgown.
She nodded. William was beside himself, inside he was hysterical. This would be their first experience, he did not want to disappoint her.
Morning after came, and as expected her ladies gossiped.
"The blood" They said. "Was dark and filled half of the sheets. We never seen so much."
One of them chimed in: "And our fathers have all young wives! And not even they have been that rough!"
The chatter died when they heard Beth clear her throat. "Ladies" She said in an imperious tone "Don't you all have duties to do? Oh that is right you will have after I swear you."
"But we have been sworn in"
"By My Lady the Aunt's King Lady Deveraux" Beth said firmly. "Not by me, now all of you rise up and line up."
They all did as they were told and bowed respectfully to her, and addressed her by her proper title. "Your Majesty."
"Your Majesty, that is right. Not My Lady or Countess, I am Countess by right of my noble and most ancient blood but I am first and foremost your Queen and you will do well to remember that. You Lady Deveraux" She pointed to the strawberry blond of the group, Lettice Knollys-Deveraux by marriage and the King's Aunt's niece.
"Step forward" She commanded.
"Your Majesty" The girl managed to say, stepping forward and keeping her eyes down. Never look at royalty in the eyes, her mother, daughter of the infamous whore of Christendom, told her.
"Look at me" Green eyes met the Queen's dark chocolate brown. They descended to the lady's square neck bodice where she had a large jeweled cross hanging from her necklace. "You are a Catholic?"
"No, Your Majesty"
"Then why the jeweled cross?"
"It is a gift of my mother's, it was a gift from her mother as well."
"Mary Boleyn"
The Countess Dowager hesitated, no one spoke the infamous whore's name. Not because of who she had been related, Queen Anne Boleyn, but by her association with the Kings of England and France.
The Queen gave her an smile which made the girl grow back at ease, "It is a beautiful necklace" Beth said fiddling her fingers with it. "Speak child do not be so frightened, I do not bite"
"Sorry Your Majesty. Thank you for your compliments." Lettice, Countess Dowager, widow of Deveraux said.
Beth kept her smile and moved on to the other ladies, inspecting them from head to toe. When she was finished with her speech how they should all be pious and virtuous she moved on to a table where she had a list of books "You can be allowed to read" she said. Among them were the English bible, the latest translation, the Psalms, and "The Book of Prayer which all of you must know." She said. "When you are free of your duties, you can all borrow any of these, but your choices are not limited. The King is building a library were my ladies will be allowed as well, in there you can submerge yourself in poetry, theology, discourses, past and new. Understood?"
"Yes Your Majesty" The ladies said in unison.
Beth was satisfied and returned to her rooms, with only a number of her Hungarian ladies, and one Englishwoman, the King's little Aunt, following her. She wanted to establish learning in all the land, what she could not in her own and William was as enthusiastic as her.
The past night she had been worried he would be too rough. Her mother had told her all about men except penetration. She said that it would hurt but she did not imagine it would hurt that much. She was not a sex freak but after William she found wanting more and more until they grew exhausted and drenched in cold sweat, they fell asleep. William held her protectively, his arms instinctively flying over her breasts, rubbing her nipples with his soft fingers.
"Oh William" She moaned. With every touch, every kiss she felt her stomach do flip flops and melt.
She looked to her ladies. The only one native of this country and already her best friend was Lady Roxanna, who was the same age as her. "What do you think of this gown Lady Chapuys?"
"Hmmm ... with all due respect Your Majesty, it makes you look like a gold fish."
Beth giggled, her ladies frowned. Their mistress had always been bold and her mother had warned them not to let her be contaminated by England and their ungodly ways, but their mistress seemed so at home here. And the King was very gentle to her.
"Very right." She pointed at one of the pillar of gowns her husband's Aunts had ordered for her, "Lady Jagellon please pass over the green, gold, and black they are the colors of royalty and the house of Tudor"
Anna Jagiellon, the oldest of her group and very important person, sister of the Queen of Sweeden, Catherine Jagellon, rushed to the green dress and handed it over to the maids who took the golden dress from the Queen and put on the green one, working carefully not to ruin the pearl buttons in the middle of her bodice.
"Does it suit Your Majesty?" One of the maids asked. The Queen nodded and smiled sweetly at her, giving her thanks.
"Better now?" Beth asked her little aunt in law.
Roxanna nodded. "Give us a twirl" Anna Jagiellon suggested.
Beth let herself be taken by the excitement shared of her ladies and gave a great twirl. The ladies whistled and cheered. Music to her ears.
She went to meet her husband at the breakfast table. His mouth nearly hit the floor when he saw her.
"No words?" She asked, further impressing him in Greek, a language she knew well since the cradle as German, Latin, and recently English.
"I-I ... You look beautiful?" Beautiful? His mind racked. You idiot tell her something else! She looks stunning, she loos like a beauty Queen ... She was Aphrodite, Athena, Hera all in one.
He was speechless. There were no words to describe what he felt when he saw her.
She was every man's dream come true and she was all HIS.
Eustace wanted to choke on his food when he saw the young Queen enter. Bess squeezed his shoulder and kissed his cheek. He remained calm during the entire breakfast until Cecil came to request an audience and William got up and kissed his wife goodbye. First on the cheeks then, to everyone's surprise, on her lips.
When everyone rose to leave, Beth and her army of Hungarian ladies and his daughter, came to him.
"Your Majesty is there something I can do for you?"
"Yes there is. Might we speak in private?"
Eustace nodded and led them to his office.
"Will you dismiss your ladies Your Majesty?"
"No, they have much right to hear this as me and telling them to leave would be a huge insult."
"Very well. What is it you want to talk to me about?"
"Your grandson." She said speaking in Greek, which except for Roxanna her ladies were ignorant of. "Please My Lord, I am not so dull and empty headed that I do not know who my husband is. Last night I came to know him rather well."
Eustace ignored the last part. "Why is it you really want to talk to me about? You seem to have narrowed down the subject of my grandson's mother's illegitimacy rather well."
Beth smirked. "Please My Lord do not think of me so unkind that I would bribe you with what I know. It is common sense and everyone around courts knows but is too afraid and too unwilling to speak about it. My husband's interests concern me as much as you. My parents agreed to this marriage as my uncle the King of Poland, not because of his ancestry but what the union with England brings to their territories."
"And I repeat what is it you want to talk to me about?" Eustace asked, getting impatient with his granddaughter-in-law.
"My mother did not raise a fool."
"You have made that very clear to me" Eustace said.
"Do not interrupt me My Lord." She said and Eustace closed his lips. "I know you do not see eye to eye with my husband's policies or his Master Secretary, Baron Burghley for that matter. I can well understand that but must you make me your enemy as well?"
"Who says I have Your Majesty?"
"You have made your position very clear since the day I landed. Have I done anything to you? Have I offended you in some way?" When he did not reply, she laughed and said. "Oh I see, you preferred a Hapsburg or another Catholic Princess. Well I am sorry, this is what you got and whether you like it or not I am your only hope. My family holds Poland and all of Hungary and maybe someday Switzerland if we continue to be wise."
"Your Majesty" Eustace brought his hand to his temple. She was bold, he gave her that, for a thirteen year old but she had much to learn. And currently, he was on the verge of having a great headache if she did not get straight to the point! "I see your reasoning but you have not said what your true purpose is here."
"I want us to be friends" She revealed switching to English. "I am aware that Albert seeks to unite the whole German Palatinate against us. My family has some control over our Palatinate. Together we are strong. I have read your discourses of the university you built on your native Savoy sir. You say strength lies in unity. I want to be your ally as much as your friend. William is fond of you and so I want to be."
Eustace, after a while brought himself to smile and rose, gripping his canes harder than ever and walked to the Queen.
"Well?" She asked.
He gave her a winning smile that was like William's and nodded.
"My Lord shall not regret it" She promised.
"I know I shall not. I was worried before but now I know. You not only possess beauty but intelligence but if I may, a word of advice?"
"Of course."
"You will get nowhere being nice all the time. Your greatest rivals will come not from court or our enemies which are at court I assure you, but from your own ladies. We have spies everywhere and we are at a dangerous place and in a very dangerous situation."
"I appreciate the warning but I was raised at Court myself and I know how to play this game."
"Then, you will not need my advice but my office is open if you find that you do" Eustace ringed a bell and called his personal manservant, Montoya, to escort the Queen and her ladies out.
After they left, he called his long time secretary and friend, Fleming and told him what had transpired.
"What do you think Fleming? Do we got another Meg of Anjou on our hands?"
"I would say more like a perfect cocktail of Meg Beaufort and Katherine of Aragon."
Eustace laughed. "Very right but she worries me. She proves she is capable woman, but she is not a woman yet. And William seems so in love with her and the ladies she keeps around ... I am not sure the girl can handle them."
"You have your own daughter among them, if she has any doubt she will go to Roxanna."
"Yes but that is what worries me?"
Fleming furrowed his brow.
"I never intended for Roxanna to be part of all this mess. She was to be my pride, my little Savoyard rose and I can't help it Fleming. I worry they will eat her alive here."
"The Queen is friendly with her and she loves the King and the King loves her and your daughter."
"It is not that, it is ..." He sighed rubbing his forehead. "How can I explain it?"
"If I may. I think I know." Fleming said. "You worry your daughter could be contaminated and involved in scandals as your other children, but there is nothing to worry about Eustace. Roxanna is more level headed. Her feet are on the ground and she is more realistic than the rest of your offspring, she would never do anything that would harm her or her family."
Eustace smiled at Fleming. His words made him feel better.
"You are a good friend Fleming."
"Aye, I am here to serve you in whatever way I can."
"You have done that and more" Eustace replied shaking his friend's hand and giving him an approved slap on his back.
Spain, Madrid
Royal Palace of Aranjuez:
She took a pair of fur lined gloves, biscuits, tea leaves. Three long coats, four small pair of red, black, and brown boots, with the great golden lion crest. That is what she takes to Mary in a fur brown bag for their usual meeting every Saturday of the week.
She was pleased to see Maria. She had not seen her in a week, it felt forever to her.
"Maria" They greeted each other with open arms. The sisters had never been fond of each other, cupped up together, forced to share a single room and their mother had always played the favorite game with them. But now things had changed and for that Catalina was grateful. "I brought you this"
Maria looked at all the clothing and accessories in the bag and the two biscuits in one mini-bag Cata took from her coat.
"Mmm... my favorites. Thanks Cata!"
Maria squealed savoring the honey around the biscuits. Her sister was the best. During this situation she found herself without friends, Cata was the only one who looked after her, asked her how she was, inquired over her health.
The Queen as too busy with her children and tending to her pregnancy she didn't really care about her new hostages.
"This is delicious. Can I get more of these?" The eleven year old asked.
"Not today but I can get more tomorrow" She added quickly when Maria's face dropped. Her face lightened immediately.
She tried on the new pair of boots her older sister brought her. "They are a perfect fit!" She cried.
"Shh! You do not want to wake your Duena up do you?"
"How did you get past the guards?" Maria asked jumping on her bed, inviting Cata.
"They are all worried about our Aunt, they could care less about the Royal children."
"You mean us" Maria said, her gaze hardening at the mention of the Queen. Like her mother she hated all of her grandfather's family and saw the Queen as nothing more than her jailer forcing her to serve her daughters. Though this was farther from the truth. The Queen had not, in fact, made any of her nieces and nephews wait on her children and Ligo still remained the favorite with his next brother, Fenrique being given the privileges as befit his station.
"The Queen does not seek to destroy us."
"But she seeks to destroy our parents. We are not allowed to see father anymore." Maria said.
Maria was very close to their father. She was what Isabel and Diana were to Philip, their father's favorite little girl. She missed him and she grew more silent every passing day that she was not with him.
Cata placed her hand on Maria's. "We will see papa soon, you will see. After this mess is dealt with, our parents will be welcomed back in court and you can play with papa again."
"You promise?"
The back of her mind was screaming no. She did not want to lie to her, but Maria was all she had and she would say or do whatever it took to make her happy.
"I promise. Cross my heart" She made an x on her heart, "and hope to die."
Maria swung her arms around Cata's and buried her head in her hair, smelling the Fresh Jazmin, and kissing her many times.
"I love you Cata! Please do not leave me tonight!"
She knew she shouldn't but she said anyways "No, I promise I will not" and she stayed with her the whole night.
When Philip came to visit his youngest granddaughter, he found her arms wrapped around Catalina's neck, her head buried in her hair.
Philip pulled the covers on their cold bodies. He thought of the dream he had last night and pushed the covers up his granddaughter's necks. He was haunted every night by the image of Annie dying in childbirth.
I won't loose you -he thought.
He focused on a more pleasant sight. Maria resembled his son, Carlos but thankfully her eyes were his own and Catalina with her sweet nature and fair looks resembled his mother.
"Mother" He did not know what made him say it. He bent down and kissed her forehead. She shifted uncomfortably, Maria followed.
He waited until they were awake. Catalina was the first one, followed by Maria who always imitated her sister and grown closer to her as of late.
"Good morrow" He said to them.
"Good morrow Your Majesty" They greeted, each with a different tone. Catalina's was merry while Maria was cold and her eyes were as hard as his own.
"He took out a small lion pin from inside his jacket. "For you" He told Maria.
"I do not want it."
"Maria" Catalina warned but Maria did not heed her warning.
"I want my papa." She said. "I want to be with my family and be rocked with them."
"That is not possible. Your parents are exiled." He said bluntly.
"Then un-exile them." She commanded them.
"I cannot do that Maria."
"Cannot or will not?" Maria dared to ask.
"Will not and now take the lion or I will give it to Ligo. He knows how to appreciate gifts"
"He knows how to be a puppet" Maria spat, her eyes burning with hatred.
"I am sorry you think that way, Catalina come, your Aunt is waiting for us. I hope you change your mind one day Maria." He said coldly and signaled Catalina to join them. They left Maria alone and more angry than ever. She began writing in her secret code to her father. She knew her mother and whatever plan she had, she wanted to be part of it. She could not stand a minute of this place and she didn't care that it meant the death of her Aunt or her grandfather. Soon as she finished she rolled the little paper on one of her doves she had locked up in the gardens.
Her grandfather had only allowed her to keep one pet, believing it was seemingly harmless and that his son lacked wit to train it. And he did. She had been the one to train him.
"Fly" She said commanded, waving kisses at "Daphne" as she flew to her father's home. Nobody knew the palace of Aranjuez better than she. When she and Cata played she had taken the chance to memorize every corridor, every number of rooms, furniture from tables, seats, to beds in it to report back to her parents if it was indeed an invasion they were planning for her cousin Albert in return of his armed support -once he was installed in the English throne- to put her father on the throne.
Annie watched her youngest niece with weary eyes. She did not like that she spent too much time alone and with Cata when no one was looking.
"Sweetheart she is just a girl" She told Philip when he mentioned how he was worried about her.
But she was beginning to think that she was not just some little girl, there was something odd about her. Something she could not place, and the sooner she started to show herself friendly towards them the better. She did not want to make an enemy of Catalina's daughter.
July 29th-August 10th
England
Anthony continued to fight with his wife. In the meanwhile their daughter had grown more distant and she spent often her times in Hatfield with her grandmother or her former governess, Kat Ashley, now her governess, to attend her.
She did not like her mother. She was always forcing her to bend her knees and pray. And she did not like her father either, whenever he got angry for talking back to him for spending the nights with widow Dudley instead of her mother.
"You should have more common sense than that" She shot back when he mentioned how he would rather spend his days in company of good women than barbaric ones.
"Do not test me Leopoldine, do not forget I am your father and as long as I am here I am the man of this house young lady!"
"I am not your young lady and mother is your wife. You will go to hell for adultery and what you are doing to us!"
"Go to your room and pray ten hail Marys" Anthony roared at his daughter and flung his cup at her direction, thankfully she was quick and avoided it. "Better yet why don't you pray in Latin and English so the whole world can hear your lament!"
Tony did not realize what he'd done until his daughter was in tears and shot out of the room and was too late.
"Leopoldine ... Leopoldine" Anthony ran to her daughter but she was faster and in his condition he stumbled and fell hard on the carpet floor, losing consciousness.
Ana walked in and kicked him several times. Anthony opened his eyes and was greeted by the sight of his angry, pale, dirty blond haired, wife.
"Hello dearest."
"Look what I had to get married. I took you for a King's grandson and what do I get? A stinking drunk who is not man enough to set his authority on his only child."
"Be silent Ana I have no time to face you Hapsburg women."
"Nor do I have patience to face drunk men. Look at you Anthony. You are a disgrace. The whole of Germany and the Palatinate is marching toward us and France is lending their support, and what do you do?" She snorted. "Vice Admiral and Duke of Sicily and you sit here and cower in your great mansion and are unable to discipline your daughter."
"The only woman I am unable to discipline is you."
"No doubt because your whore has made you weak."
"One more word out of that mouth and I swear Ana you will regret it for the rest of your life."
"I already live in regret since the day I married you and bore you that child." Ana said acidly. She turned on her heel and closing the door, unable to stand the sight of him any longer.
Leopoldine was taken to her grandparents' a month later in Richmond where the court still resided. It became the King's favorite palace and the Queen very much enjoyed remodeling the place.
One day Leopoldine bumped into the Queen, and she was stunned by her beauty and her mesmerizing dark chocolate brown eyes. Immediately she dropped to her knees and begged forgiveness for getting in her way.
The Queen knelt at her eye level and tipped her fingers at her chin and raised her head up to face, wiping her tears with her other face. "You must be Lady Chapuys, Leopoldine is it?" The little girl nodded. "What a beautiful name. It means little lioness did you know that?"
Leopoldine shook her head.
"Well now you know." The Queen poked her nose causing her to giggle. "I was always running around my mother's castle when I was a girl. She could never take that habit out of me. You do not have to be sorry, and to be sure we are friends I will give you a treat"
She led her to her chambers where hot chocolate and pastries were being served. She gave several to Leopoldine who could not help but refuse. This was more food than what her parents allowed her to eat since they were always concerned for her small stature and little waist it would be too much for her to handle.
No matter how much she stuffed herself she did not feel empty and when she asked the Queen for more, she accepted and brought a large cake that had been the original model for the Queen's birthday which had been last week to celebrate her fourteenth year.
"Tell you what? I will give you a sweet treat every day with the condition I hear you play."
Leopoldine's face brightened and immediately said "Yes"
The Queen sent her off to her grandparents so she could tell them of her generosity. In no time the court was buzzing with new gossip that the Queen was loyal and kind to every subject and every noble child of the realm rushes to her chamber asking for treats. She never said no to them. Leopoldine was her especial favorite, keeping her around added more to her popularity and her parents came to regret that they allowed their child to stay with the Queen with whom she now identified more.